Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Pixar A POP-UP CELEBRATION Book Review

Are you all ready for a peek inside one of THE coolest Pixar books ever created? Today I'm taking a detailed look at Pixar: A Pop-Up Celebration by author and artistic genius Matthew Reinhart! This book is jammed packed with so much goodness that I don't even know where to begin. Here goes nothing.

Released on November 21st just last year (I know this post is a long time coming), this book not only gives you some of the most intricate and stunning pop-up scenes I've ever witnessed, but also beautifully summarizes (in just five short paragraphs) Pixar's early history, their creative process, the software they use and where the studio has been/is currently located today. And what's seriously awesome, is that this book covers every one of their 19 feature films (Toy Story all the way through Coco) AND theatrical short films (The Adventures of Andre & Wally B. through last year's Lou) to date. You won't believe how much was crammed into this thing!

The book is 10 pages long and is organized into five 2-page spreads (as seen on first two pages below—I'll be calling them "sections"). Each section features up to four flaps— each flap dedicated to a single Pixar film (denoted by renditions of the films' iconic teaser posters). Open each one up to reveal an impressive pop-up display of an iconic moment! Naturally, everything is presented in chronological order.

The theatrical shorts are featured on "filmstrip" pull down tabs. Just gently pull down each one for the reveal! Even some aspects of Pixar's early history (Pixar Image Computer) and creative process (storyboards) were created in 3D/pop-up form here to help fill out each page. It's all just too neat!

Here's the next best part; just like Pixar's films, there are TONS of Easter eggs hidden throughout this book. Be on the lookout for the Pizza Planet truck, the Pixar ball, A113 (which I found at least three times. Hint: Check the Wall·E, Inside Out and Finding Dory flaps), a bunch of Hidden Mickeys and so much more! Keep an eye out for subtle references to John Lasseter, Randy Newman and some cross references to other Pixar films/imagery as well (not to mention lots of little details from the actual movie moments the pop-ups are based on). Man I want to go into all the details with you, but I want you to experience all that on your own! I don't want to spoil everything here, so let's just say don't forget to study each pop-up very closely. Tell me what YOU have found in the comments below!

And here's your exclusive look inside... just look at that Luxo. Jr. lamp and ball right off the bat! Wow. From the second I opened this up, I knew I was in for a treat.

SECTION 1

1984-1999

SECTION 2

2001-2006

SECTION 3

2007-2010

SECTION 4

2011-2015

SECTION 5

2015-2017

I can't even describe how much I respect the thought and care that went into each pop-up scene (and the book as a whole for that matter). I just adore everything about this release—from the gorgeous art style to the intricacy of each page— I'm so unbelievably impressed! It's so happy, so vibrant and perfect for kids and adults alike. No one is too old for this. I mean, who wouldn't have fun seeing all their favorite Pixar moments pop out of a book right in front of their eyes? Even just the way each scene is engineered to expand and pop out perfectly as you open them is so fascinating. It just baffles me how these things are constructed.

Lastly, I really appreciate all the small details that were put into this for Pixar mega fans such as myself. This could have been overly simplified and made with only children in mind, but this creator went above and beyond to please us diehards (I even learned a thing or two!). You can tell Reinhart did his research and is also passionate about the studio. Younger kids and casual fans will no doubt enjoy this on the surface, but it's those little touches and deeper references that took everything to the next level for me.

As someone who's loved pop-up books since childhood, I knew right away that this was a must have. A big thanks to my parents for snagging this for me for this past Christmas! If you'd like to add this to your Disney·Pixar library (which I obviously recommend if you couldn't tell), be sure to pick it up at Barnes and Noble, Amazon (direct link below) or wherever books like this are sold. Retail is $65, but you can usually find it on sale for around $40 (which is much more reasonable).

Shout out any thoughts or questions you might have in the comment section at the bottom of this page. Looking forward to hearing from you!